My Pyramid Creek hike in Mount Rainier National Park hike was a test of how well my aging and arthritic body handles backpacking after a five year hiatus. I passed, I think. The trip reminded me of how transcendent it feels to be in the backcountry and wilderness areas; these places bring a solitude and bond to the natural world I do not experience anywhere else. I certainly still have the desire to spend time in such places.
This trip told me that I may have some challenges in fulfilling that desire. I had no trouble walking the distances. My biggest challenge was getting up and down from the ground due to limited flexibility and some pain from arthritis in my right hip. The convenient log at the campsite allowed me to brace myself leverage my body up from a sitting position. Getting out up and out of the tent was hard; gravity was against me and I had difficulty getting upright. I quickly remembered to firmly plant my walking stick upright just outside thetent door--just as I did many nights on the Appalachian Trail--for support. That helped but going from in-tent horizontal to outside upright was never easy.
The difficulty exiting the tent was in part tent design. I carried a brand new Nemo Obi 2 on this trip. I liked that it has two doors and two vestibules. I liked that it weighs 3.5 pounds, including my Tyvek ground cloth. I knew that it would be tight for two but I was particularly disappointed in the lack of headroom. Sitting on a sleeping pad, I topped out at peak height which actually isn't much because I could not move my head in any direction without hitting the mesh tent body. The vestibules require a long reach to open, something I could not manage sitting up after putting on camp shoes. I could only reach the vestibule zipper lying prone on my back or side. That would mean an open tent in bad weather while I put on footwear and lift myself out of the tent. Maybe using it solo would give me more room for a faster, less exposed exit. I'm not sure that I want to find out.
My feet in new boots handled the walk and the load well. I'd worn the boots sufficiently at home and then around town to get the their feel, which was good. The route was maybe nine miles total, enough for boots to at least show some inclination to bite if that is their nature. So far, they do not seem so disposed. My ankles were noticeably tired at the end of the first day's walk, less so by hike's end. I plan to test them out on some day hikes before trying another backpack trip.
Carrying a 35 to 40 pound backpack was no problem. I carried the all of the camp gear and most of the food and water. Maggie carried about 25 pounds, mostly her clothing and sleeping gear. I carry a Kelty Flight 4500 pack, the same as I carried on the AT. It handles loads up to 45 pounds (more than I ever want to carry again) well. It fits well and has enough adjustments to allow shifting the load distribution between hips and shoulders. I had some difficulty putting the pack on fully loaded due to tendonitis in my left shoulder but learned to so without stressing the shoulder.
Another thing I learned on this trip was how nice it is to have a sleeping pad (a Ridgerest three-quarter) that I can throw around in the dirt and not worry about a puncture. My preferred sleeping pad is a Therm-a-Rest ultralight. Next time I may well carry will carry both the Therm-a-Rest and the Ridgerest. The latter worked well as a sitting pad on its own and was more comfortable than the small sitting pad I previously carried. Adding the Therm-a-Rest elevated a very nice sitting spot to sheer perfection.
I learned, too, that hikers on the Wonderland Trail can mail resupply packages to ranger stations at three locations along the trail. Good to know that I will only have to carry no more than three or four day's food max if I decide that I can actually do the entire 9e mile route.
In all the trip turned out well. No injuries. Maggie and I both enjoyed the time out and the time together. The forest was exquisite and seemingly infinite. The caveat is that this was a very leisurely trip--short distances with lots of time--and no adverse conditions.
I passed the easy test. If I continue along this path, more difficult tests will come.
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